Caster.



A. GUERNSEY.

GASTEE. APPLI ATION FILED JULY 18,1913.

Patented Dec. 15, 191%.

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AMELIA GUER'NfiEY, OFflNOQEE EBAY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ssna To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMELIA GUERNSEY, a

' citizen of Canada, residing at North Bay in the Province of Ontario and Dominion ofCanada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the fol-j lowing isa specification.

This invention relates to casters and {par ticularly to those of the gliding or sli ing type, the object of the invention being to provide a caster of this character especially designed for use upon metallic beds, whereby wear and tear on floors and carpets or other floor coverings may be avoided and noise and strain diminished in moving the bed or other article from place to place.

A further object of the invention is to provide a caster which is simple of construction, inexpensive of production and efiicient. for its intended purpose. f

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sliding caster embodying my invention. Fig.- 2 is a vertical section through the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bearing member; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the backing plate or washer. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide a caster comprising a body portion 1, preferably consisting of a circular disk of hard wood or other suitable material. This disk is provided with a central opening? through which extends a threaded bolt or stem 3 having at its lower end a head 4: bearing against the under side of the disk, the upper end of said bolt being threaded for the receptionof a "retaining and clamplug nut 5.

Disposed upon the bottom of the disk is a substantially saucer-shaped bearing me1nber u, preferably stamped up from sheet metal, the convex surface of which faces (10 nwa-rdly for riding contact with the floor or other surface. The hollow side of the bearing member faces the disk and receives the head 4, and the rim edge of said bearing member is provided with spurs 7 which are driven into the woodengldisk, thereby firmly holding said bearingmember-- is position.

Engaging the upper surface of the ten:

Patented Dec. 15, 1914:.

ingmember is backing plate or washer 8, having 'a central opening 9 for the passage ofth'e threaded bolt or stem. This washer is struck upat intervals to provide peripheral spurs 10 which are driven into the upper surface of the Wooden disk, whereby the.

disk and washer movement.

Surrounding the between the retaining nut-and backing plate is an oblong rectangular spring frame 11 of a construction commonly employed, said frame beingformed from a strip of spring metal-providing opposing jaws l2 and 13 connected at. their upper ends by an integral cross piece let and having lapping inwardly bent lower ends lS'and 16. The inwardly bent lower endof the jaw 12 is provided are held from' relative with an opening 17 fOIY/tll passage of the bolt, which is of sufiicient diameter to permit of its ready application and removal when required, while the inwardly bent end of'the jaw li'is fornied'with an elongated opening 18 of sufficient-size to permit move ment at all times of the jaw 13 toward and from the jaw 12, whereby a relative adjustment of said jaws is established for the desired spring clamping action against the walls of the receiving socket. By means of the nut 5 tie end l5'of the jaw 12 may be clamped with greater or less force against the clamping plate, thus regulating the degree of relatii e movement and spring clamping action of the jaws.

When the article is fitted in an obvious manner within the socket of the leg of the bedstead or other article of furniture, the bearing member and backing plate are held by the weight thereof firmly against any possibility of disconnection, while the body portion or disk 1 forms. a finished surface which is exposed. It will be understood, of

course, that as the bearing member 6 provides an absolutely smooth surface capable of sliding or gliding easily over a floor or floor covering, the bedstead or other article of furniture equipped with the improved casters may be moved from place to place without the wear and tear and strain caused by the use'of ordinary wheel casters. It will further be understood that the inven tion provides a caster which is simple of construction, inexpensive of production and efficient for its intended purpose. In the modified construction of my invention shown in Fig. 5, I dispense with the threaded stem or bolt disposed, a stem body portion 1, the bearing member 6, and the backing plate or washer 8, and provide the bolt or stem 3 with a bearing member or head 19 having a convex surface $10, which head is designed to perform the functionof the member ,6 disclosed in Figs. 1 to i inelusive. By this construction a simplified type of caster is produced which may be easily and economically manufactured.

I claim 1- A. caster comprising a diskshaped body having flattened top and bottom faces and an opening extending between said faces, a cup-shaped bearing member upon the lower face of the body, a resilient concavo convex hacking member upon the upper face of the body and having its convex side upwardly projecting through the opening in the body and through said backing member and having a headed lower end inclosed within the cupshaped body memher, a nut in threaded engagement with the ineneee upper end of thestero, andv a spring frame disposed between'said beefing-member and nut,tsaid frame comprising longitudinally extending spring jaws, a cross piece connecting the upper ends of the jaws and bearing against the nut, and throughwhioh'the stem AMELIA GUERNSEY.

Witnesses:

Henna KEATS, ETHEL Bnownn. 

